Youth-Friendly DC is the official blog for the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates (DCAYA). We are dedicated to the mission of providing DC's children and youth with a safe, healthy and productive future.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Strength in Numbers

This week's blog post is a letter to our members and allies from DCAYA's Interim Executive Director Katherine Morrison, inviting them to DCAYA's General Membership Meeting on November 09, 2011:

Every nonprofit Executive Director could work 24 hours a day and still not feel caught up, which makes any time spent on an activity not directly related to organizational survival seem irrelevant.

I’d like to make the case that attending DCAYA’s general membership meeting the morning of November 9 does not fall into that category. As we approach the 2012 advocacy season we once again face a situation of increasing demand for the services that support young people here in the District. However, the tough budget climate we witnessed last year has not improved and the 2012 advocacy season will be another hard-fought battle that will require an all hands on deck approach from youth advocates, community members and youth themselves.

In that spirit, please join us on November 9th to discuss our advocacy agenda for the coming season in our core issue areas of out-of-school time, youth workforce development and youth homelessness. Your input is essential to ensurethe strength of the DCAYA coalition.

At the general membership meeting we will also seek your thoughts on the future of the DCAYA – both the short-term the characteristics needed in a new Executive Director, and our longer-term strategic plan.

An investment of two hours of your time on Wednesday, November 9 (10:00am – 12:00pm at the Martin Luther King Library, 901 G Street Room A-10) means a stronger voice for DC youth and youth-serving organizations in 2012 and years to come.

I look forward to meeting representatives of all the DCAYA member organizations. If you can’t attend on November 9 please share your thoughts on our draft advocacy agendas (to be sent later this week) with one of our staff or with me at Katherine@DC-AYA.org.

I’m proud to have been asked to serve at the DCAYA’s Interim Executive Director and want to work with you to ensure that all DC youth have the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives.

See you on November 9!

Katherine

Katherine Morrison is the Interim Executive Director of the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates. More information on Katherine and her work with DCAYA is available at dc-aya.org.

To RSVP to the November 09th meeting you may do so by clicking here or by emailing Jamie@dc-aya.org.